Getting Ready

This has been a week of pretty intense preparations to be gone next week. I have a list of all the things I need to do and it’s impressive! Not that I’m through with them. As the day wore on today I was feeling pretty weary and probably not as chirpy as I like to be at the Wednesday night gathering. More on what I’m working on below…

Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body. – Ecclesiastes 12:12

I’m thankful that I have a break this quarter. Gary Kirkendall is doing a thought-provoking series of lessons called “How We Got Here”… a look at the history of the churches of Christ in America. I have found it fascinating and Gary is a great teacher. Tonight we finished discussing the Declaration and Address and worked through Alexander Campbell’s death. I’ll miss next week, and it looks like it is going to be a great one as the church deals with the outbreak of the Civil War.

Ok, so I’m trying to get my studies ready for sermons and classes the next few weeks. I also have a pretty big assignment due for my class at Amridge University. I’m taking Dr. Tim Gunnells’ course Contemporary Issues in Ministry. I’ll share the books we’re reading in another post sometime.

I need to compose a post for the Fall Blog Tour… more on that soon.

In addition, I’m preparing four lessons for the Harding University Bible Lectureship. This is my second time to speak at Harding Lectures (Thanks Dan Williams!). This time I’ll be doing four presentations on grief and grief recovery. All of them are on Wednesday, the last day of lectures… I’m sure that lecture sensory overload will be in full effect. I believe the audio will be available for those who can’t make it. So one week from today will be a pretty heavy duty day for me… it takes a lot out of you to speak four times in a day. I’m not complaining, just recognizing! I am a little out of place on a University campus among all the smart folks. But we’ve been through some tough lessons when it comes to grief and I think it is the right thing to do to share what we’ve learned. I’m grateful for the opportunity. But over the next few days, I really need to revise what I have prepared and make sure it is quality for those who choose to come to my classes. I notice friends Willie Nettle (fellow MBC alumnus), Tim Archer, Kent Jobe, Don Delukie (Go Monroe!), Jim Martin and I’m sure others are on the program in the long list of presenters. And the pressure is off, during the times I’m speaking because Jim McGuiggan is teaching down the hall. ha! Oh my word, I may have to skip my own class!

Sunday the Narrative Lectionary has me preaching from the edge of the Red Sea. That’s already prepared and ready to go. It is hard to get a really fresh look at something so familiar. But I think we have a word here that speaks to our hearts today. Looking forward to that lesson. In September the theme has been the Faithfulness of God. In October we will study Being Faithful to Our Faithful God!

So, I’m getting ready. For what are you getting ready? Thanks for reading.